Denis Diderot Quotations

The wisest among us is very lucky never to have met the woman, be she beautiful or ugly, intelligent or stupid, who could drive him crazy enough to be fit to be put into an asylum.

The decisions of law courts should never be printed: in the long run, they form a counter authority to the law.

Il ne faut point donner d'esprit a' ses personnages; mais savoir les placer dans des circonstances qui leur en donnent. You should not give wit to your characters, but know instead how to put them in situations which will make them witty.

I can be expected to look for truth but not to find it.

There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it.

Ignorance is less remote from the truth than prejudice.

If a misplaced admiration shows imbecility, an affected criticism shows vice of character. Expose thyself rather to appear a beast than false.

There are cats and cats.

If there are one hundred thousand damned souls for one saved soul, the devil has always the advantage without having given up his son to death.

Passions destroy more prejudices than philosophy does.